Trying Out Groupon

Groupon is a genius and yet evil invention. It's the popular coupon-deals website that offers stuff like $25 coupons for $59 worth of facials or $30 coupons for $75 worth of adventure boot-camp health classes - basically, things you might buy impulsively just because they're there. The site also offers food deals, like a $15 coupon for $30 worth of "delectable, traditional Chinese fare at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot," a restaurant I probably would have never known existed without the help of the coupon peddler.

My wife and I had always wanted to try Pizzitola's BBQ and saw a deal for $18 for $9 and jumped on it. This post isn't about the quality of Pizzitola's food but what you get for the money, so spare me the comments on how the spareribs aren't up to snuff.

A slab of ribs at Pizzitola's is $19, so they obviously priced the coupon a dollar lower so you have to spend at least a little green to get the goods. We ordered a mixed beef and links sandwich, two sides, a mixed meat and sides platter and a half-pound of ribs. Since I was using the Groupon coupon I really didn't pay attention to the price of anything and was spending with abandon, which is the point. Our total was just more than $38, meaning we ended up spending $2 more than double the value of the coupon.

Would I use Groupon again for restaurants? Absolutely. Will I pay more attention to prices and try to spend a little less next time? Absolutely.